Song of the Day 1/16: T. Rex, “Hot Love”
Better late than never, T. Rex has finally been admitted to the Rock Hall of Fame in its newest class, along with such rock-adjacent artists as Whitney Houston and Biggie Smalls (the Doobie Brothers, Depeche Mode and Nine Inch Nails round out this year’s honorees). This non-album single was the band’s first of four UK No. 1 hits. It was also the first T. Rex song I ever heard, and I was an instant fan. You have to admit Marc Bolan could lay down a funkier groove than most British lads of the day, and this “Top of the Pops” performance is credited with birthing glam rock, mainly because of the glitter teardrops a makeup artist added.
The song everyone in America knows was their next UK No. 1, “Bang a Gong.” His performance here shows a certain purple-obsessed musical genius found his stage persona by turning Bolan’s act up to 11. Take note of the keyboard player, a friend of Bolan’s who played frequently with T. Rex before his own career took off. I guarantee he’ll look familiar.
“20th Century Boy,” another non-album single released in 1973, was the last of the band’s 11 straight UK Top 10 singles that started 50 years ago, in 1970. Yet this year was the first time T. Rex was even nominated for the Hall. Next year The Smiths?
Bad Hall of Fame year. Whitney Houston? Biggie Smalls? Maybe some day, but ho hum. The other four are OK, especially T. Rex. But they’re all less deserving than, say, Jethro Tull, the Smiths, Los Lobos or Todd Rundgren, who was nominated this time. At least Pat Benatar, another nominee, didn’t get in.
I’d say their biggest problem is that three of the six honorees (considering Bolan as T. Rex) are already dead. So half the proceedings are a memorial concert.
I don’t think Nine Inch Nails and Depeche Mode opening for the Doobie Brothers in 2020 is a must-see event. So they had to bolster the lineup with dead people who still have lots of fans.
Maybe they could do hologram concerts. You couldn’t pay me to go see one, but I know they’re a thing. They’d be even worse than “tribute” concerts with cover bands. It’s like seeing the fake Eiffel Tower in Vegas and thinking you’ve been to Paris.
If they go that route, I might pay to see Biggie vs. Tupac.